An Educated Mind With An Idle Hand; The Devil’s Amoured Tank

This title was inspired from a recent public debate organized by Prof Pat Utomi, with its crux being whether skills acquisition should be mandatory in tertiary institutions or not. Meditating over this topic, I became nostalgic and started to have a reminiscence of my childhood days with grandma. She was a woman who controls a bountiful and overwhelming respect basically for her height of literacy and passion for education. Grandma was the principal of a secondary school in my home town for a lengthy period until she peacefully kicked the bucket. The most important moment this topic made me remember was her usual mantra “Arakunrin (young boy), if you want to be somebody in life, go to school, study very hard and get yourself a good job” I am much older now and I begin to wonder why she never said “Arakunrin, if you want to be somebody in life, go to school, study very hard and CREATE jobs.” After all, there is an evident discrepancy between seeking for a job and creating one. Grandma, no apologies, your words were for the days of yore, we are in a new dawn. Unfortunately, we have been bamboozled by the ill and hereditary mentality of seeking for jobs after tertiary education and that counts as a reason why we still remain in a pathetic economic ecosystem.

Skill in this context is the quality of performance which is derived and developed through training and practice. Today’s youths have found themselves in a niche of numerous employable opportunities but with little employment opportunities. However, these opportunities can only be employable if one possesses the gifted hands and make judicious use of them even if the white collar system is not welcoming. In my personal opinion, the best institution to sharpen these gifted hands is the tertiary institution.

One of the inadequacies of the Nigerian tertiary education system is that it has failed to groom students for self-employment in the labour market. The egregious norm of always seeking for jobs after school has developed the mindset of being a job seeker and not a job maker. However, many graduates of today have become unrepentant job seekers, dauntless in their job search despite not being oblivious that job competition is becoming tougher and our unemployment status is near the double digit radar. Adequate machineries should be put in place by the government in order to incorporate several skills acquisition programmes into the curriculum of tertiary institutions so as to equip undergraduates for self-creation of numerous opportunities when they get to the labour market.

Going by the popular religious quote, “Man shall not live by bread alone but…” Permit me to phrase my version which goes thus; man shall not live by certificates alone but by every skills that cometh from his higher education. I believe this should be the general mentality in an economy like ours that has suffered from four consecutive increases in the unemployment figure. As at the third quarter of 2015, the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics reported that unemployment was 9.9% an increase from 8.2% of the second quarter with youths culminating 50% of the figure. I madden seeing the ridiculous status skills acquisition enjoy in present days. Only a few are conscious of the fact that the future of the Nigerian economy lies in the hands of those who possess entrepreneurial abilities and can display the dynamics of the operation of the hands. The Nigerian Universities Commission should see to the redesigning of both public and private tertiary institutions to enable skills acquisition and entrepreneurial prowess before graduation. If this is actualized, graduates will get to enjoy diverse number of job opportunities at their disposal. In addition, it will help to stab to death the monstrous malady of unemployment ravaging our nation.

It is tragic and unfortunate that the government has not accomplished the task of actualizing item four of the National Policy on Education which aims to acquire both physical and intellectual skills which will enable individuals to be self-reliant and useful members of the society. Let me pronto sound to the helmsmen, a country’s development is a function of its manpower. Ditto, many academics have opined that effective skills acquisition in education is sine qua non to a self-reliant economy.
According to JAMB, there are 378 tertiary institutions in Nigeria, this figure should never make one imagine a whooping shortage of skilled manpower but the reverse is the case. This is sorrowful and embarrassing! As a reminder, the modus operandi of today’s higher institutions is mere theoretical delivery, relegating practicality to obscurity. Little wonder many Nigerian graduates have become ‘theoretical robots’ delivering only what is read on paper and failing to showcase what can be done with their hands. Education is not about sharpening the brain alone but also the hands. It is high time the government delivered our tertiary institutions from the hangover and overdose effect of theoretical delivery to embrace a practical dispensation of education.

In conclusion, there has to be a paradigm shift to provide a juxtaposition of academic and vocational skills. This can only be a successful accomplishment, if the curriculum of tertiary institutions is restructured, there should be a synergy between the government and private sector and the various vocational skills should be aligned to the interest of the students based on the skills they want to acquire.

This article was written by Abubakar Muideen Oladayo. A 200 level student of the Department of Economics, Obafemi Awolowo University.

LLB 4 Trash LLB 1 To Win Animashaun Cup

The annual Animashaun soccer fiesta came to an end today as the LLB 4 of the Obafemi Awolowo University Faculty of Law pummeled their junior colleague from LLB 1.

It was such a glamorous duel today as teeming crowd turned up to witness the final of the annual competition. The Part one team has been keeping an unbeaten run right from the outset of the competition defeating all their senior colleagues. However, reverse was the case yesterday as they unfortunately lost to their colleagues from Part 4. It was goalless draw all through the first half of the encounter. Many thanks to a beautiful drive from Fakeye, who eventually bagged the highest goal scorer of the competition which eventually ended the goal drought.

The match proceeded as the luminaries struggled to get an equalizer. Alas, the equalizer would not just come. Shortly after the luminaries failed to convert the penalty kick that was awarded to them, the LLB 4 team punished them by utilizing a beautiful corner which turned out to a goal, courtesy of a beautiful header from Uche.

The second goal confirmed the victor of the day as the luminaries struggled and laboured for a goal they never got even though they wrote their names so boldly in the history book being the first part one class to play in the final.

Photos From Lai Mohammed's Visit To OAU

Here are some exclusive pictures from the Honourable Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed's visit to Obafemi Awolowo University yesterday.

“When You Are Eating, You Don’t Talk” – Lai Mohammed

The Honourable Minister for Information and Culture – Alhaji Lai Mohammed was at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife on Friday 29th of January, 2016 in honour of the University’s Faculty of Arts invitation, who invited him to their annual Faculty’s Distinguished Guest Lecture as the guest lecturer.

In his delivered lecture titled “Nexus between corruption and Underdevelopment of the Nigerian state”, the minister examined burning national issues, most especially those relating to corruption and administration. At the closing stages of his delivery, he presented an analogy during which he stated that it is not right for a person to be talking while he or she is eating.

“Once a time, a very vocal and (God) fearing professor was nominated as a Minister. Because he was so vocal, so (God) fearing and he was actually seen as a defender of the masses, his constituency – the academics – were very happy that at least, they have somebody who is going to represent them and represent the masses in the government. But after about 2-3 years in government, nobody heard him champion the course of the masses, nobody heard him denounce corruption. After three years, there was a cabinet reshuffling and he went back to the university. When he got there, his colleagues were very infuriated and narrated to him their disappointment. They told him they felt with him in government, war against corruption would be championed by him. The professor looked at them and replied by saying “You don’t understand. It is about etiquette and table manners, when you are eating, you don’t talk”.

The message behind this analogy is very tricky to decipher. While some school of thought believes that Alhaji Lai Mohammed is trying to suggest he might keep mute even in the face of scandals and irregularities that may arise in the course of the current administration, some others believe he just put up the analogy as a form of reference to past administrators and administrations who have in one way or the other committed such offences.

The highlights of the event include; Presentation of distinguished alumnus award to the Minister himself, who is an alumnus of the Department of French, Faculty of Arts, University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) and performances by the ever-entertaining Dramatic Arts Department troupe. Other awardees at the event include; Hon Kehinde Bamigbetan and Hon Oluseye Oladejo who were both alumni and former Student Union leaders. Prominent guests who graced the event include the Dean, Faculty of Arts – Professor Gbemisola Adeoti, former Dean of the Faculty – Professor Y. K. Yusuf and Kowa Party’s presidential candidate in the last elections – Mrs Remi Shonaiya. There were also in attendance representatives of the Ooni of Ife and other distinguished guests.

Now to you our distinguished readers, what do you really think Alhaji Lai Mohammed is trying to bring out of his analogy?

OAU Students Ask Buhari To Probe Vice Chancellor

Hundreds of students of Obafemi Awolowo University on Friday asked President Muhammadu Buhari administration to probe the activities of the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Bamitale Omole.

The students passed the message to the President through the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who was at the university.

They also bombarded the minister with requests that the Federal Government should ensure decent hostels for students on the campus.

The minister was at OAU to deliver the distinguished guest lecture, titled ‘Nexus between corruption and underdevelopment of Nigeria’ at the University’s Faculty of Arts.

The students had staged series of protest against poor condition of their hostels which led to the closure of the school by the management late last year.

“Our halls of residence are in bad shape and my colleagues are saying probe Omole (VC) and so on,” said one of the students allowed to ask the minister a question.

“It is not only at the national level that the government should concentrate its fight against corruption, it should come to universities and we welcome President Buhari’s war against corruption on OAU campus.”

The entire students present applauded the students, while the minister promised to meet with the VC to discuss the issue of students’ union leaders under suspension.

The minister urged Nigerians to support the government in the fight, saying corruption had already started fighting back.



Source

Egedegbe Gracious & Adeyemo Emmanuel Win Big At WRIDS Competition

Arts by self-coined definition to me would mean, in paraphrase, being creative. And when we say creativity, it is much like a relative term which one could similarise with diverse kinds of factors having to do with our community and society by extension. In furtherance, with this creativity in our hands, I guess the pasts that are making the masses, within and or off the four walls of this ivory-tower to feel cowered up can be allayed or solved for the benefit of humanity in general. So, it is in this light, I would want to believe, the faculty of Arts/Humanities, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, specifically, the department of English and Literary Studies come up with the idea or the notion to discuss, in the form of writing, debate and spelling bee amid us students, some disturbing issues affecting our lives as youth/students and or that may affect us, when we are done as one in the morrow. NASELS - National Association of English and Literary Students deciding bodies, under the overall control of its President - Sodiq Oyeleke - brought about the Writing, Debate and Spelling Bee Competition (WRIDS competition) with awards tagged alongside, promisingly, for those that would make it out fine.

So, the contests had taken place and had gone. All of the contestants went home with gift(s) for partaking in the competition. But it would be of lackadaisical act on the side of this news agency, if we fail to have you informed some of the core details you'd love to read about or know about took place at the level of Aud 2. Only students under the banner of Nasels put in for the contests so, not only students in part one contested but also two and three students, namely:

Okediji Samuel
Akingbade Victor
Egedegbe Gracious
Akinola Ebunoluwa
Adeyemi Emmanuel
And others who participated in the spelling bee.

The chairman of the occasion was Dr. Ogungbule - Lecturer in the department of English and Literary Studies. And chiefly present was the elegantly, verbally, grammatically and accurately conscious HOD of the department - Prof. Ogunkoya. In his brief talk with the students present, "we are not there yet in the area of infrastructural facilities at OAU" but "there has been remarkable developments within Nasels", he said. He continued by telling the students of Nasels present "the contract for the departmental library has been approved and it shall be tiled and WIFI shall be installed there", he explained, for easier access to the world wide web (www) for information collection and for increasing the height and weight and breath and length of our horizon as learning students. He encouraged students to be watchful of lecturers not doing well enough to have them reported for changes and also reminded the students to use their given quota well.

In furtherance, some of the topics debated on, live at the level of the meeting were: "Considering output, do you think OAU is currently positioned to produce seasoned graduates" whilst the topic for the written essay was "The Scientific Maximum Shishi (SMS) as a means of curbing social vices among OAU students has lost its effectiveness in recent times (Essay)" and on spelling bee, a lot of hard words strange words were asked to be spelt like oakum and the like.

Moreover, about the winners, Egedegbe Gracious won the Essay (written) and bagged home N10,000 - half of his next sessions's fees and Adeyemo Emmanuel won the debate and bagged the same worth Gracious's. All of the contestants went back with gifts, none left without one thing or the other to show.

Finally, I would say, contesting or competing in life in general view, ought not to be with the aim of winning or taking back home awards or the gifts if that is allowed but ought to be partaking with the positive mindset - to do all within one's might, for the better of self and for the best of the society we all are going to go and mix up with when we are done here.

Prof. Awopetu's Birthday: ASUU Appeals To Nigerians To Support FG

Some university dons under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are appealing to Nigerians to support the anti-corruption stance of the federal government rather than see it as a witch-hunt against any opposition.

This appeal was made at a special lecture and congress held in honour of a former chairman of ASUU, Obafemi Awolowo University chapter, Professor Idowu Awopetu in Ile-Ife Osun state.

Members of ASUU from across the country; vice chancellors of various institutions including that of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof Bamitale Omole all gathered for the event.

One after the other, they all lamented that some corrupt opportunists have almost milked the Nigerian economic cow to death and there is the need for the Buhari administration to recoup the money.

The academics want the President to spread the anti-corruption dragnet across board to achieve the desired goal.

They said that the war against corruption should be a people’s war supported by all Nigerians if the country must rise again.

The university dons, however, warned the President to always respect the rule of law and fundamental human rights of the accused corrupt persons so as not to be seen as an authoritarian.


Source: Channels TV

Geostruct Donates Computers To Department Of Building

The Department of Building, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife has been furnished with 17 new desktop computers donated by a Lagos based company known as Geostruct Konsult Limited.

These computers are expected to be installed in the departmental laboratory and will facilitate the development and improvement of the drawing skills of the building students in many areas including AutoCAD and Revit designs.

Reacting to the donation, the President of the students' association, Alabi Jamiu, thanked the donor and congratulated all the members of the department for the big achievement during his administration. He however prayed that God will continue to move the Department of Building forward and that he hopes bigger things of such will continue to happen in the department.

Jamiu also urged the students to make good and reasonable use of the computers. The computers are expected to be in operation as soon as all the necessary installations are completed.

JAMB Fixes February & March For 2016 UTME

The dates for the 2016 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination was unveiled by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, yesterday.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Tuesday, January 26, said it would conduct the 2016 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) between February and March.

According to a statement by its Head of Media and Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin in Lagos, the Computer-Based Test (CBT) exam would hold in over 400 centres within and outside Nigeria.

He added: “JAMB has approved more centres to give Nigerians the best computer-based test.

“The board insisted that these centres must meet best global requirements.

“Some of the requirements are steady power supply, 200 computers, including Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS), accessible road, security and a waiting room.

“This year, there are innovations to ensure candidates write under the conditions.’’

The board said sale of forms closes on Friday.

I Was Not Allowed To Defend Myself - Suspended NUASA Financial Secretary

The Suspended Financial Secretary of the Nigerian Universities Accounting Students' Association, Obafemi Awolowo University chapter, Oladeji Opeyemi a.k.a Sanctified has voiced out that his suspension from office came without affording him to say his own side of the story.

The Press Statement made available to us stated categorically how Honourable Tbams made a false allegation against him which the Speaker also fell for. Below is the full Statement:

A SENTIMENTAL JUDGEMENT OR DECISION MADE BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NIGERIA UNIVERSITIES ACCOUNTING STUDENTS’ASSOSIATION OAU CHAPTER

Good day to all the ever-courteous Nuasites, I really appreciate the support (financially, materially, physically, spiritually and strategically) during the election to the post of financial secretary of our prestigious association, thanks to all.

Let me start by saying this, an elder that makes use of one side hearing to judge a situation, does not have what it takes to be a good elder.

This issue on ground can be traced to last administration, in which there was a big fight between the executives and the house of representatives which almost led to proscription of the association but all thanks to the personalities that pleaded, from the beginning of our administration, the executives’ resolution is to behave very calmly towards any aggressive or annoying way the house of representative may react to us, in order for what happened in last administration not to re-occur in our administration, We all complied to this, but this actually has given a wide open space to the house of representatives, in which the Executives have not been given the full Nose to breathe, but our main goal is to finish well in spite of any threat or downfall.

As regards the suspension of the Financial Secretary, since the beginning of the association, I have been asked to present the financial report of the association in which I did reply to every single time they requested for it and that summed up to six (6) times of preparing financial statement, which has not been easy on my part(other financial matters to be attended to) in which dis-allowed me to publish my financial statement for the whole Nuasites to see how their money is being spent because I needed an approval from house before publishing it.

On this very day of suspension, I presented two financial statements, the first financial statement runs from the beginning of the administration till 15th of November 2015 and the second one runs from 16th of November 2015 till 22nd January 2016, (a day before the sitting) and all the bank statements I was requested to bring were with me, but when honorable Tbams made some false allegations against me concerning negligence of duties and motion of suspension, the speaker of the house in person of Afilaka Olumiyuwa A. aka Papiloo did not give me any CHANCE before the suspension motion was moved and validated, to defend myself of the false allegations.
In other words, the financial secretary was suspended based on sentimental judgement or decision made by some of the honorables.

Greatest Nuasites, Articulate Nuasites, please I want you to debunk any news concerning the reason of the suspension that the financial secretary was negligent, inconsistent and incompetent of his duties which is not so, because the speaker of the house in person of Afilaka Olumiyuwa A. aka Papilo has threatened me face to face that I will have issues which actually came to past, which can only mean a sentimental decision for suspending me as the Financial Secretary.

I have been serving Nuasites with my whole heart and effort which I promised on the manifesto night, but my striving effort to continue doing this was truncated by the house of representatives due to the sentimental judgement that was made.

Thanks.

Signed by:
Oladeji Opeyemi aka Sanctified

OAU Seeks For Appointment Of External Auditors

In compliance with the provisions of Section 85(3) (a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, and the relevant guidelines from the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation, the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, requires the services of a Firm of External Auditors.

The prospective appointee must show:
1. Evidence of the Firm’s registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC);
2. Evidence of the Firm’s registration with the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation in 2015;
3. The Firm’s profile, including professional qualifications of the key staff, past experience with respect to similar jobs which have been successfully handled, etc;
4. Evidence of financial capability (Bank reference);
5. Audited accounts of the Firm for the last three years, i.e., 2014, 2013 and 2012;
6. Evidence of VAT registration and valid tax clearance certificates for the last three years, i.e., 2014, 2013 and 2012; and
7. Evidence of compliance with the provisions of the Pension Reform Act of 2004
Interested auditing firms must submit their applications not later than two weeks after the publication of this advertisement to:
The Registrar
Obafemi Awolowo University,
Ile-Ife,
Osun State,
Nigeria

Envelopes containing the applications must be marked “External Auditor” on the top right hand corner.

SIGNED
D. O. Awoyemi
Registrar and Secretary to Council

'Education Is Meant For Those Who Can Afford It' - Dean, DSA OAU

The Acting Dean of the Division of Student Affairs (DSA) of Obafemi Awolowo University, Dr (Mrs) L. M. Durosinmi has emphatically stated that Education is not meant for all, rather for those who can afford it.

In response to a widely circulated statement which she was alleged to have written calling on Great Ife students to rise to salvage the deteriorating state of the university, Dr Durosinmi said she never wrote such and she has a widely opposite position to the assertions in the previous statement.

"With great disgust scorn and disgust, my attention was drawn to a publication titled 'Africa's most beautiful campus?' which was allegedly circulated around campus from the Office of the Acting Dean of the Division of Student Affairs. The circular is a negative propaganda from the dirty pit of minds of rebellious imposters.

"As a note of mention, it is important to say that no member of the University Senate and University executives has any disagreement with the policies of the Vice Chancellor.

"We all agree with the increased tuition and the school closures. In fact, if not for this unity of purpose, I wouldn't have remained in my office as the Acting Dean for this long.

"Education is meant for those who can afford it; it's not for everybody."

Part 2 Botany Students Get Together

Students of the Department of Botany, Obafemi Awolowo University in their 200 level came together on Saturday at the level of BOOB to hold a picnic/get together.

The students who were obviously happy found out time out of their busy schedule to share happy moments and reflect on some issues bordering them ranging from academics to Socials in an event hosted by a duo of Olubanjo Morenikeji a.k.a Mr Lee and Ajakaye Adedoyin a.k.a MzSelfie; both from the class.

An high point of the event was the awarding of some of their distinguished colleague who have excelled in Entrepreneurial engagement. This award was bagged by Elusoji Sodeeq of Edge Projects ahead of the CEO of other Groups. Also, awards of recognition were given to their Class Representative and the Assistant Class Representative for their commitment and good administrative gesture.

The Get-together had an interactive section where the invited guests led by the President of the National Association of Botany Students (NABOS), David Adetula answered several questions from the students particularly on their academic welfare and departmental association affairs. He commended the class members for their outstanding cooperation and unity that birth the initiative and challenged them to export the love to the whole of the Department.

The President of the association in his grand response charged the students to prioritize their academics above other things since that was what brought them together as a class even as they also extend beyond the walls of academics by acquiring skills that will stand them out in the outside world they are been prepared for now that they are still on campus. He went further by stating some of the ongoing programmes and projects of his administration and encouraged the students to exhibit greater participation and involvement.

The Picnic Committee for the class was later unveiled and the membership includes; Hon. Ameenah, Hon. Blessing, Hon. Kelvin, Hikmah, Anthony, Cybersaint, Mr Lee, Gunshot, Xpera, Akes and Olamide.

Invited guests who graced the occasion include the Vice President and General Secretary of the departmental association, Ogunwale Ebunoluwa and Oyekola Opeyemi respectively. Others are Hon. Adesqueen, Hon. Ridwan, Hon. Nerhiswag, Ransom and Ify Chuks. The event lasted 3 hours and was brought to an end at about 5:45pm.

Suspension Spreads To NUASA As Fin. Secretary Bags Indefinite Suspension

The Financial secretary of Nigerian Universities Accounting Students Association (NUASA), Mr. Oladeji Opeyemi also known as Sanctified was suspended at the 7th Accounting Students Representative Council(ASRC) parliamentary sitting that held yesterday at LAW 205.

Sanctified was suspended indefinitely due to incompetence, negligence of duties and inconsistency of reports. The NUASA Treasurer Sotunde Taiwo Timilehin is expected to take over as acting Financial Secretary during the period of his suspension.

Potentials, Credentials Or Both? – MizDee

A lot of people might be wondering what I mean by 'credentials' or 'potentials'. You do not need to bother yourself with a dictionary; we will be using some OAU students' definition of these terms. Your credential is supposed to be your certificate while your potential is supposed to be what you know or have in your brain.

Recently, I noticed my time here is running out fast. I suddenly got scared that I will not get to write this before I leave. It was common in my first year to hear and listen to students say things like: 'OAU is the best university in Nigeria';

'my older sibling said if one graduates with a third class from OAU, such a one would be preferred ahead of a first class graduate from some other schools';

'woh, my dear, it's not about your credential, it's about your potential(this is mostly from senior colleagues).'

To be fair, some of these statements might be true to some extent but I've discovered over time that negligence has been the watchword of such students. No wonder someone once said Nigerians can adapt to any situation no matter how bad.

Some students of OAU create a shield for themselves when they discover they can't attain their academic goals. They move about in the illusion that it is not their credential that matters but their potential. Who said so? Wouldn't it be a great thing to have both your credential and potential? DON'T BE DECEIVED! Gone are the days when people want to hear what you know. They want to hear what your credential says first. There might be lots of factors that might make a person settle for just their potential; that's not bad. Should everyone then tread the same path?

If you still have room for change, change. Strive for your credential and of course your potential should be intact. If at the end you have one, then you'd know you did your best. Strive for all round excellence.
Go, get it!

MizDee

College Of Health Sciences Plans To Increase Tuition Fee

There are strong indications that there is a concluded plan by the Management of the College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University to increase tuition fee by N50,000 come next session.

The Provost of the College of Health Sciences, Professor Adesegun Fatusi on Thursday, January 21 during the College colloquium announced to the students that their fees would be increased. With this, students of the college would pay an additional N50,000 more than their former fees starting from next session (2015/2016 academic session)

If this development eventually pulls through, fresh students who have been offered admission to departments such as Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry and Dental Surgery, Nursing Science and Medical Rehabilitation will now pay N145,790 as against the N95,790 they paid in the beginning session (including Acceptance fee and accommodation if they remain the same).

It will be recalled that the tuition fees for all faculties were increased after last session which saw the fees increased over 200% from what it used to be. The Omole-led administration during whose tenure the increment was made is expected to end June 2016, sometimes shortly after the resumption of the 2015/2016 academic session.

Full List Of OAU NYSC Batch A Mobilization

The Division of Student Affairs (DSA), Obafemi Awolowo University released the NYSC Batch A mobilization list on Friday. To view or download the list, visit the link below:

OAU NYSC Batch A Mobilization list

CLASFON OAU Holds Public Lecture In Honour Of Professor Fubara

The Christian Law Students' Fellowship of Nigeria (CLASFON), Obafemi Awolowo University hosted a public lecture in honour of an icon of legal scholarship and matriarch of Ife law, Professor Margaret Okorodudu Fubara on Thursday.

The event which held at Oduduwa Hall of the institution centered on "how can we improve the legal profession and challenges facing the profession". The program officially commenced some minutes into noon with most of the invited guests present and seated. The honouree arrived shortly before the opening prayer flanked by the Dean, Faculty of Law.

The Bible reading was taken by Agbaje Feyisayo, (a part one student of the faculty) from the book of Isaiah 56 v 1-7 while the welcome address was delivered by the CLASFON OAU President, Pastor Ayomiposi.

Delivering his note, the Dean of the Faculty of Law represented by the Vice Dean shared his experience of how his encounter with Professor Itse Sagay propelled him to the field of law. Also in the address, the Dean called for donation for the faculty. Elder Felix Ewemere in his own address as the Chairman of the event enjoined budding lawyers to be for Christ and to emulate the honoured. He further emphasized further that, the popular saying that 'lawyers are liars' is not absolutely true and that the honoree is a remnant of the existing truthful Christian lawyers.

The citation of the honouree was not however left out as emphasis was made on the fact that Professor Margret Okorodudu Fubara is the first female Dean of Faculty of Law, OAU. She is also the first Professor of Environmental Law in Africa. She is also the first author of Environmental Law textbook in Nigeria.

Just exactly at the very heart of the program, the Guest Speaker of the event and the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Ademola Oladapo Popoola gave the long and challenging lecture with the topic; "The legal profession in Nigeria today: Issues, challenges, opportunities and strategic options".

An award of excellence was thereafter given to the honouree and presented by the Staff Adviser of CLASFON, Dr O. S Opadare. The honouree however dedicated all the accolades to Christ. She apologised on behalf of other invited guests who were absent as a result of other pressing and important assignments.

Also present at the event are the Vice Chancellor represented by the Dean, Faculty of Science, Professor Ogunfowokan; The University Librarian; Vice Dean, Faculty of Law, Dr K. O. Fayokun; Emeritus Professor David Ijalaye; Professor Emebore; CLASFON National President represented by Miss Bankole; Ex-director of Environmental Right Action, Abiola Sanni (author of Nigerian legal method) among many other distinguished guests. Representatives from CLASFON UI and BOWEN were around for the program. The program ended exactly 3:15pm.

OAU Students’ Union Leadership Confirms Studentship Suspension

The leadership of the Students’ Union of Obafemi Awolowo Uniuversity has finally broken her long silence on the suspension of some Union officers.

Ojedokun Emmanuel a.k.a Immanuel Kant, the Students’ Union Public Relations Officer in a Release tagged ‘Immanuel Kant Speaks, Our Suspension and Victimization: A bullet in the Heart’, confessed that it is now due for him to break the silence on the suspension of the Union officers by either authenticating or debunking it. As expected, the PRO confirmed that their studentship has been truly suspended.

“The widespread rumour needs authentication or debunking. Sequel to the suspension of union activities, the invitation of some union leaders to an investigation panel and the re-opening of the university, I must confirm to you that truthfully, our studentship has been suspended for semesters.

“This decision was said to have been made at the recommendation of the Panel that was set up by the University administration. It should be noted the silence of the leadership of the Union was not borne of fear or cowardice but due to the uncertainty that surrounded the rumours. The confirmation came hours ago.”

The three members of the Central Executive Council (CEC) members involved including the President, Akande Omotayo a.k.a TY; Secretary General, Oketooto Oluwaseun a.k.a Hon. Seun and the Public Relations Officer, Ojedokun Emmanuel a.k.a Immanuel Kant are two months away from completing their programmes.

LSS OAU President And Treasurer Suspended Over Scholarship Issues

The President and Treasurer of the Law Students' Society, LSS, Obafemi Awolowo University chapter, Olaniran Quadri and Aiyeetan Christiana have been suspended for their failure to constitutionally 'handle' the association money appropriately.

In an emergency parliamentary sitting held yesterday, Wednesday at the Faculty, the legislative arm of the Society, the Law Student Representative Council (LSRC) comprising of representatives from all levels of the association debated extensively on the allegation of financial mishandling and thereafter came to the resolution to suspend the President and Treasurer for three and two weeks respectively.

Confirming the development to OAU Peeps News Agency separately, an honourable of the Parliament and another prominent member of the Society said both of them (President and Treasurer) were suspended after thorough debates and conclusion of their failure to follow due procedure in the handling of society's money. According to these sources, what led to the suspension actually centres on the controversy surrounding the scholarship scheme to indigent students initiated by the Quadri-led administration.

When asked about the fate of the already scheduled congress which is expected to hold today, the honourable revealed that the officers' suspension will not affect the Congress earlier billed for today as the Vice President is expected to preside over the Congress going by constitutional provisions.

Obama's YALI Storms OAU Campus On Saturday

The House of Babiti cordially invites the general public to its maiden edition and YALI event on climate change. House of Babiti which is an organisation for youth advocacy, a research institute and human resource will be unveiled at the event.

Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), is an initiative of President Barack Obama to empower African youth on key leadership, to take active role in the development of Africa. YALI GOES GREEN is segment of YALI initiative to apprise issues on environmental sustainability.

The event will take place as follows;

➰Venue: Auditorium 2, Humanities Block, OAU.
📆 Saturday 23rd January, 2016
🕐 10:00am

You get to take the online course and earn a YALI certificate, bring along your internet device.
There will be interactive session + sharing innovative ideas and lots more.

Supported by:
Environmental Planning Students Association (EPSA)
OAU Peeps News Agency
National Association of Botany Students (NABOS)

GATE FEE - FREE + REFRESHMENT

Osun Doctor Died Of Lassa Fever

The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex said on Wednesday that laboratory test confirms that the resident doctor’s death on Monday at the hospital was caused by Lassa fever.

The chairman of a committee set up by the OAUTHC on Lassa fever, Prof. Adedeji Onayade, said this while speaking to our correspondent in Osogbo on the telephone.

He said the result of the first test carried out on the sample of the deceased tested positive.

Onayade said, “We have a report back and the result came as positive. We were supposed to do two tests but the patient was dying when we took the first sample.

“We can’t do the second test now. So we can say it is 50 per cent but we are going ahead to take necessary steps. We have informed all those who should know.”

He said the hospital was on top of the situation adding that there was no need for anybody to panic as a result of this.

There is fear among the residents of the state that the situation may be worse because doctors in government hospitals are on strike.

However, the Chairman Osun State Association of Medical and Dental Officers, Dr. Isiaka Adekunle, had earlier told our correspondent that the association would suspend its strike in case of an outbreak of the disease.

He said, ” Though we are on strike, we still allow our members in surveilance, HIV, tuberculosis to be working. This is what the state government wants to use to break our ranks but it cannot work. We asked them to be working because we are not fighting against our people but the government.

“But if there is an outbreak, we will suspend our strike action and work to combat it. The state government is the one prolonging the strike, we are ready to work when our demands are met."


Source

Between Jonathan’s Ebola Fever And Buhari’s Lassa Fever

By Jude Ndukwe

At the time of writing this essay, Nigeria has lost 44 of her citizens to the dreaded Lassa Fever which like the equally dreaded Ebola Virus Disease is a haemorrhagic fever that spreads easily from one person to another even at the slightest of contacts. The two diseases need a comprehensive action plan involving the people and relevant agencies, local and international, as led and mobilised by government who deploys all resources necessary, be it human, cash and material, to tackle the menace headlong before it ravages the citizenry. That the disease has claimed 44 lives already within a short period of time shows how deadly it can be.

The Ebola virus which caused a worldwide stir in 2014 and claimed about 11, 000 lives in West Africa alone when the epidemic occurred that year, can be considered to be more fearsome because of the number of casualties it claims per occurrence and its rapid spread to even Europe and the US which also lost some seven citizens together in the outbreak.

However, with all its threats and spread; with all its fame for defying medicine, the then government of Presdient Goodluck Ebele Jonathan rose up to the occasion and confronted that monster with total commitment and vigour, mobilising government agencies, personnel and other resources; sensitising schools, offices, churches/mosques etc while equipping hospitals and other public places with anti-Ebola kits and releasing the sum of N200million each to Lagos and Rivers States which had reported cases of the disease then despite the states being led by APC, the then opposition party, the disease could not do much damage to Nigeria contrary to genuine fears and worry expressed by the international community then.

Although outbreak of the disease was reported in West Africa, precisely Guinea, in March 2014, it did not give the world much concern until it was brought into Nigeria by a Liberian diplomat, Patrick Sawyer. The moment the Ebola disease found its way into Nigeria, the alarm bell was rung all over the world because of Nigeria’s population and her lack of expertise to handle such an outbreak. However, with President Jonathan’s commitment, drive and patriotic approach to the fight against the disease, Nigeria managed to still eventually lose seven of her dear citizens while Europe lost three and the US lost 4. However, Liberia has lost 4,809, Guinea lost 2,536 and Sierra Leone lost 3,955.

Even the World Health Organisation (WHO) commended “…the Nigerian Government’s strong leadership and effective coordination of the response that included the rapid establishment of an Emergency Operations Centre… strong public awareness campaigns, teamed with early engagement of traditional, religious and community leaders, also played a key role in successful containment of this outbreak”, hence, Nigeria was declared Ebola-free on October 20, 2014, exactly just three months after the first reported case. Thereafter, Nigeria had the luxury of even sending health workers to other sister African nations affected by the disease to assist them combat it.

Furthermore, the WHO Country Director in Abuja, Dr. Rui Gama Vaz, described Nigeria’s exemplary handling of the outbreak as a “spectacular success story.” It was, indeed, a commendable achievement.

In spite of all these achievements and accolades poured on Nigeria then for this rare feat, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the then major opposition party, tried several times to politicise the issue and distract the Jonathan administration from focusing on tackling the disease headlong so they could use it as one of their campaign issues against the then president, an issue which resulted in the PDP and Jonathan chiding the APC on different occasions for politicising what would have been a national disaster on all citizens irrespective of party affiliation, ethnic background or religious leaning but for government efforts.

Fast forward to 2016, and with the outbreak of the Lassa Fever which was officially declared by the federal government in January 2016, despite the Minister of Health saying it has been with us for 6 weeks (as at 8th of January, 2016), yet, the Lassa fever has killed 44 Nigerians as at January 18, and distracted by the so-called corruption cases deliberately churned up by the authorities as a decoy to parry the attention of Nigerians from other urgent national matters, Nigerians do not seem to be asking questions as to why the high fatalities within such a short period of time. With the death toll of Lassa fever reaching 44 and the possibility of it climbing higher, one can only thank God that Buhari and his party, APC, were not in power when Nigeria and indeed West Africa suffered the Ebola outbreak. It would have been a monumental disaster.

It is sickening, smacks of gross incompetence and a display of high level of crass irresponsibility on the part of our government of the day to be talking about setting up a National Action Committee to tackle the outbreak nearly three weeks after its emergence was officially declared. The Action Committee would be inaugurated at an Emergency National Council on Health meeting. The question is, what is “emergency” about calling a council meeting over a disease that has been allowed to ravage citizens for so long? Why did it have to take the intervention of the Senate via its committee on health for the Buhari administration to be talking of a council meeting to tackle the fever? Why did we have to wait for 44 of our citizens to die before action is being taken? Under Jonathan, Ebola could only spread to three states of Lagos, Enugu and Rivers before it was effectively contained. Why did we have to now wait for this Lassa fever to spread to 10 states before waking up from our slumber?

Surely, there is a lax attitude from this government towards the wellbeing of its citizens. It is obvious this government lacks any action plan for its citizens whether in health, employment, economy, education, social welfare, infrastructure etc.

When compared to the progress made under the Jonathan administration and the commendations the country received from all over the world with regard to the dogged fight put up against Ebola disease, one would have thought that Nigeria should only improve on that in tackling any disease of similar trait. But with the Lassa fever saga, it has become obvious, and another incontrovertible proof that the “Change” promised Nigerians during the campaigns is nothing but a change for the worse.

Lastly, in the interest of the nation and fellow citizens, I will advise the Buhari administration and the APC to eat the humble pie and approach the PDP for advice on how best to tackle this latest disease before it ravages all of us, and as a responsible and patriotic party, I will also strongly advise the PDP not to withhold any information and or resources from APC when they are approached for advice and expertise. This country belongs to all of us and we must see to it that our citizens are defended stoutly against any disease, no matter how deadly!

jrndukwe@yahoo.co.uk; Twitter: @stjudendukwe

NYSC 2016 Batch 'A' Mobilization Time-table

The National Youth Service Corps has commenced the mobilization for the 2016 Batch “A” service year.

The time-table for the mobilisation are as stated:

S/N PROGRAMME DATE
1 2016 Batch “A” Pre-Mobilization Workshop 5th – 9th Jan. 2016
2 Briefing of Prospective Corps Members/Final year Students 12th – 16th Jan. 2016
3 Collation of Prospective Corps Members’ Data by CPIs 11th – 18th Jan. 2016
4 Submission/Uploading of Senate/Academic Board Approved Result for Full/Part-time Graduates and Revalidation list by Corps Producing Institutions (CPIs) 18th – 30th Jan. 2016
5 Uploading of corrected lists by Corps Producing Institutions(CPIs) 18th – 30th Jan. 2016
6 On-Line Registration by Foreign and Local Trained Nigerian Graduates 1st – 25th Feb. 2016
7 Entertainment of Complaints from Prospective Corps Members by the State Deployment & Relocation Officers and NYSC Help lines/Desks 1st – 27th Feb. 2016
8 On-Line Delivery of Print Outs to Corps Producing Institutions (CPI) 25th – 27th Feb. 2016
9 Deployment and Printing of Call-Up Letters by ICT Department 25th Feb. – 1st March 2016
10 Notification/On-line Printing of Call-Up Letters 27th Feb. – 2nd March 2016
11 2016 Batch “A” Orientation Course 2nd – 23rd March 2016 (Stream 1), 30th March - 20th April, 2016 (Stream 11)